Xcode

apple-tiptoes-with-modest-ai-updates-while-rivals-race-ahead

Apple tiptoes with modest AI updates while rivals race ahead

AI, Apple, Apple developers, apple intelligence, machine learning, Siri, wwdc, wwdc 2025, Xcode / /

Developers, developers, developers?

Being the Worldwide Developers Conference, it seems appropriate that Apple also announced it would open access to its on-device AI language model to third-party developers. It also announced it would integrate OpenAI’s code completion tools into its XCode development software.

Craig Federighi stands in front of a screen with the words

Apple Intelligence was first unveiled at WWDC 2024. Credit: Apple

“We’re opening up access for any app to tap directly into the on-device, large language model at the core of Apple,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s software chief, during the presentation. The company also demonstrated early partner integration by adding OpenAI’s ChatGPT image generation to its Image Playground app, though it said user data would not be shared without permission.

For developers, Apple’s inclusion of ChatGPT’s code-generation capabilities in XCode may represent Apple’s attempt to match what rivals like GitHub Copilot and Cursor offer software developers in terms of AI coding augmentation, even as the company maintains a more cautious approach to consumer-facing AI features.

Meanwhile, competitors like Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, and Microsoft continue to push more aggressively into the AI space, offering AI assistants (that admittedly still make things up and suffer from other issues, such as sycophancy).

Only time will tell if Apple’s wariness to embrace the bleeding edge of AI will be a curse (eventually labeled as a blunder) or a blessing (lauded as a wise strategy). Perhaps, in time, Apple will step in with a solid and reliable AI assistant solution that makes Siri useful again. But for now, Apple Intelligence remains more of a clever brand name than a concrete set of notable products.

Apple tiptoes with modest AI updates while rivals race ahead Read More »

microsoft-warns-that-the-powerful-xcsset-macos-malware-is-back-with-new-tricks

Microsoft warns that the powerful XCSSET macOS malware is back with new tricks

Apple, Biz & IT, macOS, malware, Security, Xcode, xcsset / /

“These enhanced features add to this malware family’s previously known capabilities, like targeting digital wallets, collecting data from the Notes app, and exfiltrating system information and files,” Microsoft wrote. XCSSET contains multiple modules for collecting and exfiltrating sensitive data from infected devices.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac now detects the new XCSSET variant, and it’s likely other malware detection engines will soon, if not already. Unfortunately, Microsoft didn’t release file hashes or other indicators of compromise that people can use to determine if they have been targeted. A Microsoft spokesperson said these indicators will be released in a future blog post.

To avoid falling prey to new variants, Microsoft said developers should inspect all Xcode projects downloaded or cloned from repositories. The sharing of these projects is routine among developers. XCSSET exploits the trust developers have by spreading through malicious projects created by the attackers.

Microsoft warns that the powerful XCSSET macOS malware is back with new tricks Read More »